Sensei
by N. Reynolds
Summary: [Story Completed] This is a "Ranma does something unexpected that shifts the balance of power" story. It was written as an oneshot, but could be the prolog to a longer story. Writing the longer story never happened


If I ever decide to continue this, then this is the prologue, otherwise I think it stands on it's own.  
  
  
Sensei  
  
Ranma walks into the Nekohanten, and heads for Cologne. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"  
"Go ahead, son in law."  
"Why haven't you ever used something like the Xai Feng Shin  
Gao technique on me?"  
"Well, I've been hoping for a complete victory. If you and Shampoo were to fall in love, Shampoo could return in triumph, with a prize that would make the other amazon girls jealous. This would boost her standing among her peers."  
"But you know I don't love Shampoo. That's never going to happen."  
Cologne chuckles, "When dealing with people, you shouldn't use the word never. You're 16 years old. You only reached the age of reason four or five years ago. If you live to be 80, you've only seen about 7 percent of your life. But you're right. My fairytale ending is very unlikely."  
"So why haven't you ended it?"  
"Well, I'll give you two reasons. Primarily because you youngsters will never learn how to solve your own problems. There are hundreds of solutions to your problem, none of which are possible as long as everyone clings to their hopes of a perfect ending. It's ironic, since whoever gives up their dreams first will likely end up the happiest. The other reason I haven't ended it is quite simple really; I like it here."  
"You think I'd be happy if I just stopped being stubborn? How!"  
"Now now, my student. If I tell you the answer, you'll never learn and grow. How about we discuss the problems imposed on you by my tribe, and see what we can learn. I want you to marry Shampoo, move back to China and raise a huge family. What's wrong with this?"  
"I don't love Shampoo, and you wouldn't want her to live in a loveless marriage."  
"Good start, what else?"  
"I don't want anyone picking my wife for me. If you force me I'll continue fighting every step of the way."  
"Anything else? You didn't mention moving to China as a problem."  
"Nah, China itself isn't a problem. I've been traveling all my life. The language would be, but I guess I could learn it."  
"Ok, then. If we assume that marrying Shampoo is out, how do you get us to back down?"  
"If I could figure that out, you'd be gone."  
"It's very simple, you make a counter offer. You offer everything that we want that you don't mind giving, maybe a few things you mind a little, and everything you can find that we'd like but can't do ourselves. If your counter offer is good enough, you get your enemies helping you make the loose ends work out."  
"Well, what if I"  
Cologne interrupts. "That's enough for now, you need to think this out a bit more before anything good will come of it, and I need to get back to work."  
***  
The next day Ranma seeks out Cologne again. "If there was a way for me to join the tribe that didn't make me married to Shampoo, would you take it?"  
"Well there are many problems with that. But for the sake of argument, I'd say yes. Getting you into the tribe would be the more important thing. But the ties would have to be strong. I couldn't condone it if you were only paying lipservice to joining, and you have so many ties to you already."  
"Don't I know it. And most of my ties are because of pop, and my school."  
"Ah yes. You are the rightful heir to that pantythief's school. Promise to do what he says and he might teach you the school's secret attacks."  
"He ain't my sensei, pop is."  
"And your father has taught you everything he can, or at least is willing to. So your sensei is pawning you off to the pervert in order to be left alone. If you want to be the heir, you'll be Happi's heir. Your father doesn't have the right to train you anyway. Happosai never gave him permission to teach Anything goes. So either you give up your inheritance from that school, or you obey Happosai."  
"But if I give up the school, then what?"  
"You're one of the best in your generation. You look for a Sensei better than you who can teach you, and join that school. Unfortunately that means that you must abide by the new sensei's requests, so find out what you are getting into, and make a deal beforehand over what is and isn't acceptable."  
***  
That weekend, Ranma invites everyone from the Nekohanten, Ucchan's, and the Tendo dojo (including his father) to meet in a vacant lot in order to hear an announcement.  
Genma confronts his son. "Boy, why did we have to come here for this?"  
"Because it is a family matter of importance that should not be handled on land owned by anyone besides our family. To do this at the dojo would be an insult to the Tendos."  
"What matter is this?"  
"It's very simple. Neither you nor Mr. Tendo have Happosai's permission to teach Anything Goes."  
"That's between Happosai and us, son."  
"I'm afraid not, Sensei. I don't want to train under Happosai, and I cannot train under you. Sensei, I'm leaving your school."  
"You can't do that."  
"Of course I can. It's quite easy. There isn't a Saotome school until you either get Happosai's permission, or until you break from him. There's only one school of anything goes, Happosai's school. Congratulations Pops, the Saotome and Tendo schools are joined."  
"So you plan to be a ronin martial artist?"  
"Oh no, In exchange for a promise of allowing me to choose who I spend my life married to, and a promise allowing me to travel up to 9 months a year, and to take up alternate residence for up to 6 months a year anywhere in Japan, as long as I spend 3 months a year in my other home; I'm apprenticing myself to Cologne-sensei. I am officially an unmarried  
joketsuzoku amazon,  
Shampoo's honor is restored by the number of excellent fighters she's bringing into the amazon's circle. When I'm in China I'll be living with her and Cologne-sensei.  
Shampoo turns on her Great-grandmother. "Why do you do this to me."  
"Think child. I've ended an arrangement he never accepted. Ranma refuses to be forced into marriage. In exchange you still could marry him if you can get him to agree, and he'll be living with you at least 3 months a year voluntarily. As he's now an amazon, you only lose a little honor for not marrying him yet, and will gain more for strengthening the tribe. As long as I stop forcing Ranma, you wind up closer to him than you ever were before."  
"Son, I forbid it."  
"If you forbid it as my father, I'll disown you, and become Shampoo's Great Uncle, and leave you here to satisfy all the promises you made by yourself. Besides, it's too late to forbid me. Its already done. As soon as this school year ends, we'll be returning to China for my first 3 months there."  
Pandemonium ensued.  
  
  
--------------------- Notes ------------------------  
If I continue this, Shampoo becomes Ranma's tutor in Chinese. He's still engaged to Akane and Ukyou, but he can break both at any time by severing ties with Genma and becoming Cologne's son.  
  
Coincidentally this gives all of the fiancee's common ground. Akane and Ukyou don't want to lose their engagements, and Shampoo doesn't want Ranma in her family, unless it's through marriage (the idea of seducing her Great-uncle is a definite turn-off for her).  
  
Anyone Ranma eventually marries, marries into the tribe. The amazons have won even if Shampoo doesn't. And Shampoo still might. Expect the usual crowd to follow Ranma to China for the summer.  
  
Ryouga will defeat an amazon, Kuno probably can't. Expect Kodachi to find people who understand experimental botany, and who will look at her as a mentally sick genius, and try to cure her (i.e. Kodachi is going to be the victim of drugging involuntarily). Pansutotaro may or may not show up (I can do without him). Soun may or may not defeat an amazon (I haven't decided). Happosai will get lynched. Repeatedly.  
  
Akane, who started Ranma 1/2 as Nerima's best fighter, and slipped to one of the worst, will finally find in China that she's a respected opponent in the 75th percentile of her peers.  
  
Then when they return to Japan for their senior year, they'll be bringing a dozen friends along who want to see Japan like big-sister Shampoo did.  
  
And as Kodachi's new friends try to cure her, be prepared to see:  
Kodachi-pollyanna  
Kodachi-depressed (Ryouga-like)  
Kodachi-sailor moon (She thinks she is)  
Kodachi Cranston, the Shadow knows  
Kodachi-Groucho  
Kodachi-Gaea (Megalomaniacal earth mother)  
Kodachi-Errol Flynn (Very bishonnen) 


End file.
